NCJ Number
212580
Date Published
2005
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video presents a panel of experts from the National Poison Control Center, the Consumer Health Protection Association (CHPA), and a Walgreen's Regional Loss Prevention Center that discusses the effects, prevention, and control of the abuse of DXM, a cough suppressant, primarily by youth.
Abstract
DXM is an ingredient in cough medicine, which can be taken in liquid, pill, capsule, or powder form. It is an over-the-counter drug, which can produce an opiate-like high when taken in large doses. The desirable effects as expressed by a brief video clip of a DXM abuser are increased social confidence and a euphoric psychological state. The dangers of DXM abuse, as noted by the doctor from the National Poison Control Center, are a diminishment of motor abilities (difficulty walking and speaking), hallucinations, nausea, seizures, and respiratory constriction. Although not physically addicting, an obsession with the effects of DXM can be psychologically addicting. A discussion of the prevention of DXM abuse focuses on parental action and influence and access control by pharmacies. The panel advises that parents must be aware of the warning signs and symptoms of DXM abuse. These include the physical signs of dizziness, difficulty walking and speaking, abdominal pain, and nausea, as well as situational signs of empty medicine bottles and the smell of medicine. Parents should become acquainted with the dangers and signs of DXM abuse and communicate with their children about the risks of such abuse. Children's peer associations should be monitored, and they should be encouraged to become involved in positive interests and activities. The Walgreen's loss-prevention professional explains his company's policy of monitoring over-the-counter drug thefts and the strategies that may be adopted by stores with a problem, such as keeping DXM drugs in locked display cabinets or behind the counter. Suggestions are offered for resources and information on DXM and the prevention of its abuse.